Blog Entry

The 101 number one song of the day was sung by a man born Charles Hatcher whose first paycheck was a Sealy Posturpedic mattress – but he had to split it five ways!

He was performing as part of quintet called the Future Tones and they entered a local talent contest on a TV show and won. The first prize was the mattress. Eventually he moved out on his own and onto Cleveland where he was signed to a contract by Ric Tic Records which was bought by Motown. He recorded a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong which went to number one on August 29, 1970 and although Vietnam itself was never mentioned – the time was right for the man since renamed – Edwin Starr (War)